Elections Ontario
The Commissioner’s Office signed its second letter of agreement25 with Elections Ontario in 2014, a year when provincial elections were held. In the days following June 12, 2014, the Commissioner’s Office received complaints about English-only documents, Notice of Registration cards with no accents on voters’ names, and a lack of French-language service at polling locations across the province.
The most recent election is a reminder that nothing is perfect. The Commissioner’s Office worked with Elections Ontario in advance of the previous general election in 2011 to ensure that everything would be in place so that Francophones would be able to vote in French. It is important for Elections Ontario to work on improving French-language services, including correspondence with voters, forms and services provided at polling locations, on the website, in social media and over the telephone.
Reminder
- All signage, tools and other documents for voters and all training materials for polling location staff available in both English and French
- Continued election staff training efforts
- Education of temporary workers and volunteers on providing high-quality customer service in French
Elections Ontario took these new complaints about French-language services very seriously. After inquiries and an investigation, it appears that some information on the Notice of Registration card is entered manually by the office of the Returning Officer for each riding. This procedure can result in typographical errors or inaccuracies in entering key voter data.
The organization apologized for this problem and promised the Commissioner’s Office that it would update its instructions for Returning Officers and their temporary staff to reinforce the need to insert French accented letters in the system. It is clear to both parties that Francophone citizens must participate in the electoral process without impediment.
Elections Ontario also made a commitment to make the necessary effort to find bilingual election staff for the next provincial elections in 2018. That said, the community must do its part. Members of the community are encouraged to get involved and be part of the solution by applying for a poll official position in the next general election or by-election. The Commissioner’s Office is happy to report that the efforts were effective since no complaints were received following the February 2015 by-election in Sudbury. Knock on wood.
25. For more information: https://csfontario.ca/en/articles/4924 (page consulted in May 2015).